Rotating internal combustion engine

ABSTRACT

A rotating internal combustion engine, in which each power cylinder and piston is paired with a slave cylinder and piston, said slave piston and cylinder furnishing compressed air to scavenge the power cylinder of exhaust gases and to increase the amount of air in the power cylinders for purpose of super charging said power cylinders.

I United States Patent 1 1 [111 3,730,148 Bagby 1451 May 1, 1973 ROTATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION [56] References Cited ENGINE UNITED STATES PATENTS [75] Inventor: James M. Bagby, Wheaton, 111.

2,707,461 5/1955 Smith ..123/44B [73] Assignee: The Raymond Lee Org nizati n. 3,581,718 6/1971 Petty ..123/44R Inc., New York, NY. a part in terest Primary Examiner-Clarence R. Gordon [22] Filed: Oct 27, 1971 Attorney-Howard l. Podell Appl. No.: 193,104

US. Cl. ..l23/43 R, 123/44 D, 418/144 Int. Cl ..F02b 57/04 Field of Search 123/43 R, 43 C, 44 R,

123/44 A, 44 D, 44 E, 45 R, 8.37, 8.39

[5 7] ABSTRACT A rotating internal combustion engine, in which each power cylinder and piston is paired with a slave cylinder and piston, said slave piston and cylinder furnishing compressed air to scavenge the power cylinder of exhaust gases and to increase the amount of air in the power cylinders for purpose of super charging said power cylinders.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented May 1, 1973 ROTATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of my invention is a rotating internal combustion engine with improved performance. The cylinders and pistons of my invention rotate but not about a common axis. Each power cylinder and piston is paired with a slave piston and cylinder, the slave cylinder furnishing compressed air to scavenge the power cylinder in the exhaust mode, and to supercharge it in the intake mode. The function of valves is accomplished with a minimum of moving parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

The objects and features of my invention may be further understood with reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. lis a cross-section in elevation of the revolving cylinder chamber block;

FIG. 2 is a view of the section of the fixed main engine housing abutting the rotating cylinder chamber block showing the ports and orifices which serve to carry air, fuel and exhaust gases to and from the cylinders; and

FIG. 3 is a side view of the engine in cross-section.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-section of an alternate bearing and bearing mount for the main shaft.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:

Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows the three power pistons P1, P2 and P3 together with their paired slave pistons, S1, S2, and S3 respectively, each fixed by a piston rod 21 in cylinders 10, 12, 14, 13, and 11 respectively of revolving cylinder chamber block 30. Cylinder chamber block 30 rotates about center of rotation 31 in a counter-clockwisedirection as shown in FIG. 1.

The piston rods are all rotatably mounted to fixed shaft 32, by bearing member 33 shown in FIG. 3, and to their respective pistons by pins.

Each of the three power cylinders 10, 12 and 14 have an intake-exhaust orifice 34 near the periphery of the cylinder chamber block 30 which extends through the cylinder chamber block, and is a distance R from the center of rotation 31 of the cylinder chamber block. Each of the three slave cylinders l1, l3 and 15 have an intake-vent orifice 36 at a distance R from the center of rotation 31 of the cylinder chamber block 30, the difference between R, and R being greater than the radial distance D, across orifices 34 or 36.

Each of the power cylinders 10, 12 and 14 have a scavenger opening 35 in the cylinder chamber block 30 near the opposite end of the cylinders from the intakeexhaust orifice 34.

As shown in FIG. 3, the rotating cylinder chamber block 30 backs against stationary main housing 50, with sealing members 66-71 located in main housing 50 to avoid any leakage from the cylinder orifices except at those locations where the wall of main housing 50 is specifically opened to permit the flow of gas or air from the cylinder chambers. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the openings in main housing 50. Exhaust orifice 43 and intake orifice 44 are located a distance R, from the center of rotation axis 31 of cylinder chamber block 30, with slave intake orifice 46 located a distance R from axis 31. Slave vent orifice 42, at a distance of R, from axis 31 is connected by manifold 47 to scavenger orifice 45 which is a distance of R from axis 31. Slave vent 49, at a distance of R from axis 31, is connected by manifold 48 to intake orifice 44. Spark plug 40 is.

located in main housing 50 at a distance of R from axis 31, with the firing face of the spark plug facing the rotating chamber block 30.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a typical engine cycle may be described in terms of one power piston, P1 and one slave piston S1, with rotating cylinder chamber block 30, rotating counter-clockwise. In the position shown in FIG. 1, orifice 34 of cylinder 10 is opposite intake opening 44 of main housing 50. Compressed air thus flows into cylinder 10 from slave cylinder 13, since intake-vent opening 36 of cylinder 13 is opposite slave vent 49.

In the position shown in FIG. 1, fuel is also injected into cylinder 10 through fuel injector opening 41.

As the rotating cylinder chamber 10 rotates counterclockwise, intake orifice 34 becomes sealed. The motion of piston Pl, which maintains a fixed distance from fixed shaft 32, relative to the cylinder 10, is to compress the gasoline-air mixture as cylinder 10 rotates more than degrees to the point where orifice 34 is now directly opposite spark plug 40 in the main housing. The spark plug 40 may be continuously energized, since ignition occurs when opening 34 of cylinder 10 comes abreast of the location of the spark plug 40. The reaction of the combustion pressure is to furnish a rotational torque to cylinder chamber block 30 so as to permit the gases to expand in the cylinder. When orifice 34 comes abreast of exhaust opening 43 in the main housing 50, the products of combustion are released to the exhaust system. During this rotation, slave cylinder 13 has compressed the air it received when its orifice 36 was abreast of the slave intake orifice 46. At that point in the exhaust cycle of cylinder 10, when scavenger opening 35 is abreast of scavenger opening 45 of the main housing, the orifice 36 of slave cylinder 13 is abreast slave vent orifice 42 of main housing 50. Slave cylinder 13 releases some of the compressed air in the slave cylinder through manifold 47 into scavenging orifice 35 of cylinder 10 to help expel the exhaust fumes from the cylinder.

Further counterclockwise rotation of cylinder 10 brings scavenger orifice 35 of cylinder 10 past orifice 45 in the main housing 50, thus closing off the scavenger flow of air from slave cylinder 13. This same rotation brings the orifice 36 of the slave cylinder abreast of opening 49 in the main housing 50 releasing the remaining compressed air in slave cylinder 13 to cylinder 10, through manifold 48 in the main housing, into orifice 44 of the main housing, and into intake-exhaust orifice 34 of cylinder 10 to start the cycle anew.

The interface between main housing 50 and the rotating cylinder chamber block 30 is continuously covered by an oil film as the rotating cylinder chamber 30 is bathed in oil reservoir 60 containing oil 64 which acts to cool the fins 61 on the chamber block 30, as

well as to lubricate the rotating interface of the cylinder block against the main housing. Oil is circulated by pipe 63 to an external oil cooler as required.

The surface of rotating cylinder block 30 facing the main housing 50 is fabricated with a series of concentric seals to prevent gas flow across this interface. Sealing rings 66 and 67 isolate the power area with radial seals 71 isolating intake orifice 44, exhaust orifice 43 and ignition orifice 40. Sealing rings 67 and 68 isolate the slave area together with radial seals 71 about slave vertical orifices 42, 46 and 49. Sealing rings 69 and 70 isolate the scavenging area with radial seals 71 about scavenger orifice 45.

FIG. 4 illustrates an optional form of thrust bearing 66 for mounting main shaft 55 in lieu of bearing 51. In this configuration, main shaft 55A is bolted to rotating cylinder block 30 by means of fasteners 65.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended to be interpreted in an illustrative sense and not a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the Unites States is: I

1. An improved internal combustion engine in which each power producing cylinder and piston is paired with a slave cylinder and piston such that the slave piston and cylinder compresses air for the scavenging of exhaust gases from the paired power cylinder on the exhaust stroke of the paired power piston, with said slave piston and cylinder producing compressed air for super charging the fuel-air mixture in the paired power cylinder during the intake stroke of the paired power piston comprising a fixed engine housing in which is rotatably mounted a circularly shaped cylinder block fastened about its center to a power shaft which extends out of the engine housing, said power shaft fitting in a bearing mounted in the engine housing,

said cylinder block being bored with an even number of cylinders, equally spaced about the center of the cylinder block with the axis of each cylinder being tangent to an imaginary circle drawn'about the center of the cylinder block, said cylinder axes being perpendicular to the axis of the shaft fastened to the cylinder block, with a piston slidably fitted in each cylinder block, with each piston connected by a rocker arm of constant length to a hub which is rotatably mounted about a piston-mounting shaft that is fixed to the engine housing, with the axis of said piston-mounting shaft being parallel to and offset from the axis of the power shaft,

each cylinder in the cylinder block being closed at the peripheral end of the cylinder in the cylinder block, except for valve porting holes as hereinafter described, and each cylinder being open at the end of the cylinder located towards the center of the cylinder block, said open ends of the cylinders joining a common central recess in which the rocker arm mounting hub is located, said rocker arm hub being mounted through an opening in the side of the cylinder block to the engine housing to which it is fixed, together with porting means in the wall of the cylinder block which align during rotation of the cylinder block with porting means attached to the engine housing at various stages of rotation of the cylinder block so as to permit fuel and air to be drawn into the power cylinder during the intake stroke of the power piston and permit the exhaust gases to flow out of the power cylinder during the exhaust stroke of the power piston,

said porting means permitting air to be drawn into the paired slave cylinder during the intake stroke of the paired piston and to permit air compressed by the paired slave piston and cylinder to flow into the power cylinder during a portion of the intake stroke of the power piston, and during the exhaust stroke of the power piston, and

said porting means permitting the ignition of the fuel air mixture in the power piston by means of a fixed ignition device mounted on the engine housing.

2. The combination as recited in claim 1, in which one external side of the cylinder block is formed in a plane surface set perpendicular to the axis of the power shaft, said surface being parallel to the axes of the piston rocker arms, with said cylinder block mounted so that the said cylinder surface abuts a similar smooth plane surface on the interior of the engine housing during rotation of the cylinder block relative to the engine housing, with a first port in the cylinder wall of each power cylinder located at a radial distance (R1) from the axis of the power shaft in the peripheral end of each power cylinder wall and joined by a hole in the cylinder wall to an adjacent recess in the surface of the external cylinder plane surface, and

a second port in each power cylinder wall located at a radial distance (R3) from the power shaft axis between the peripheral end of the cylinder and the location of the external piston surface at the commencement of the exhaust stroke, said second port opening joined by a hole in the cylinder wall to an adjacent recess in the external plane cylindrical surface, together with a portlocated at a radial distance (R2) from the power shaft axis in the wall of each slave cylinder joined by a hole in the cylinder wall to an adjacent recess in the external plane cylindrical surface,

together with ducting in the engine housing which supplies the power cylinder with a mixture of fuel and air with one end of said ducting terminating in a hole in the engine housing joined to a recess in the plane surface of the engine housing that abuts the external cylindrical plane surface, said recess being located at a radial distance (R1) from the center of the power shaft and located to as to be aligned with said first port recess of the cylinder wall for the duration of that point of the cycle of the engine during which the fuel-air mixture is supplied for the power cylinder,

ducting in the engine housing for super charging which leads from the power cylinder to the slave cylinder, being joined at one end to a recess in the plane surface of the housing at a radial distance (R1) from the power shaft axis and of a circumferential length so as to be aligned with said first cylinder port recess for that portion of the cycle of the engine after the fuel-air mixture has been added to the power cylinder during that part of the cycle in which compressed air super charges the power cylinder from the slave cylinder, said ducting being joined at its other end to a recess in the plane surface of the housing located at a radial distance (R2) from the power shaft axis, which latter recess is located so as to aligned with a recess in the cylinder wall aligned with the port leading to that slave cylinder which is paired with the power cylinder to which the other end of the ducting leads, together with ducting in the engine housing for exhaust scavenging which leads from a recess in the plane surface of the engine housing located at a radial distance (R2) to a recess in the engine housing surface located at a radial distance (R3) from the power shaft axis, said recesses being located so as to join the slave cylinder to the power cylinder during the exhaust stroke of the power cylinder with ducting for the drawing of intake air into the slave cylinder which leads through the engine housing to a recess in the plane surface of the engine housing located a radial distance (R2) from the power shaft axis and located so as to abut the port opening of the slave cylinder at that part of the engine cycle during which the slave cylinder draws in air.

3. The combination as recited in claim 2, together with a port located in the engine housing plane surface, said port being of a size to contain an ignition device, said port being located a radial distance R1 from the power shaft axis and located so as to align with the first port of each power cylinder at a point in the engine cycle when it is desired to ignite the compressed fuel air mixture, in each power cylinder, so as initiate the power stroke of the power piston.

4. The combination as recited in claim 3, together with sealing gaskets mounted in the surface of the engine housing about each port recess opening of the engine housing surface.

5. The combination as recited in claim 4, in which the sealing gaskets are mounted in concentric rings in the surface of the engine housing and at varying radial distances from the power shaft axis, such that each port recess in the cylinder wall surface is located between a pair of sealing rings, together with sealing gaskets mounted in the surface of the engine housing that join adjacent concentric sealing rings to as to surround each port recess opening in the engine housing surface with sealing gaskets, thus preventing leakage from the ports of both the engine housing surface: and the cylinder surface at the interface between the two plane surfaces. 

1. An improved internal combustion engine in which each power producing cylinder and piston is paired with a slave cylinder and piston such that the slave piston and cylinder compresses air for the scavenging of exhaust gases from the paired power cylinder on the exhaust stroke of the paired power piston, with said slave piston and cylinder producing compressed air for super charging the fuel-air mixture in the paired power cylinder during the intake stroke of the paired power piston comprising a fixed engine housing in which is rotatably mounted a circularly shaped cylinder block fastened about its center to a power shaft which extends out of the engine housing, said power shaft fitting in a bearing mounted in the engine housing, said cylinder block being bored with an even number of cylinders, equally spaced about the center of the cylinder block with the axis of each cylinder being tangent to an imaginary circle drawn about the center of the cylinder block, said cylinder axes being perpendicular to the axis of the shaft fastened to the cylinder block, with a piston slidably fitted in each cylinder block, with each piston connected by a rocker arm of constant length to a hub which is rotatably mounted about a piston-mounting shaft that is fixed to the engine housing, with the axis of said pistonmounting shaft being parallel to and offset from the axis of the power shaft, each cylinder in the cylinder block being closed at the peripheral end of the cylinder in the cylinder block, except for valve porting holes as hereinafter described, and each cylinder being open at the end of the cylinder located towards the center of the cylinder block, said open ends of the cylinders joining a common central recess in which the rocker arm mounting hub is located, said rocker arm hub being mounted through an opening in the side of the cylinder block to the engine housing to which it is fixed, together with porting means in the wall of the cylinder block which align during rotation of the cylinder block with porting means attached to the engine housing at various stages of rotation of the cylinder block so as to permit fuel and air to be drawn into the power cylinder during the intake stroke of the power piston and permit the exhaust gases to flow out of the power cylinder during the exhaust stroke of the power piston, said porting means permitting air to be drawn into the paired slave cylinder during the intake stroke of the paired piston and to permit air compressed by the paired slave piston and cylinder to flow into the power cylinder during a portion of the intake stroke of the power piston, and during the exhaust stroke of the power piston, and said porting means permitting the ignition of the fuel air mixture in the power piston by means of a fixed ignition device mounted on the engine housing.
 2. The combination as recited in claim 1, in which one external side of the cylinder block is formed in a plane surface set perpendicular to the axis of the power shaft, said surface being parallel to the axes of the piston rocker arms, with said cylinder block mounted so that the said cylinder surface abuts a similar smooth plane surface on the interior of the engine housing during rotation of the cylinder block relative to the engine housing, with a first port in the cylinder wall of each power cylinder Located at a radial distance (R1) from the axis of the power shaft in the peripheral end of each power cylinder wall and joined by a hole in the cylinder wall to an adjacent recess in the surface of the external cylinder plane surface, and a second port in each power cylinder wall located at a radial distance (R3) from the power shaft axis between the peripheral end of the cylinder and the location of the external piston surface at the commencement of the exhaust stroke, said second port opening joined by a hole in the cylinder wall to an adjacent recess in the external plane cylindrical surface, together with a port located at a radial distance (R2) from the power shaft axis in the wall of each slave cylinder joined by a hole in the cylinder wall to an adjacent recess in the external plane cylindrical surface, together with ducting in the engine housing which supplies the power cylinder with a mixture of fuel and air with one end of said ducting terminating in a hole in the engine housing joined to a recess in the plane surface of the engine housing that abuts the external cylindrical plane surface, said recess being located at a radial distance (R1) from the center of the power shaft and located to as to be aligned with said first port recess of the cylinder wall for the duration of that point of the cycle of the engine during which the fuel-air mixture is supplied for the power cylinder, ducting in the engine housing for super charging which leads from the power cylinder to the slave cylinder, being joined at one end to a recess in the plane surface of the housing at a radial distance (R1) from the power shaft axis and of a circumferential length so as to be aligned with said first cylinder port recess for that portion of the cycle of the engine after the fuel-air mixture has been added to the power cylinder during that part of the cycle in which compressed air super charges the power cylinder from the slave cylinder, said ducting being joined at its other end to a recess in the plane surface of the housing located at a radial distance (R2) from the power shaft axis, which latter recess is located so as to aligned with a recess in the cylinder wall aligned with the port leading to that slave cylinder which is paired with the power cylinder to which the other end of the ducting leads, together with ducting in the engine housing for exhaust scavenging which leads from a recess in the plane surface of the engine housing located at a radial distance (R2) to a recess in the engine housing surface located at a radial distance (R3) from the power shaft axis, said recesses being located so as to join the slave cylinder to the power cylinder during the exhaust stroke of the power cylinder with ducting for the drawing of intake air into the slave cylinder which leads through the engine housing to a recess in the plane surface of the engine housing located a radial distance (R2) from the power shaft axis and located so as to abut the port opening of the slave cylinder at that part of the engine cycle during which the slave cylinder draws in air.
 3. The combination as recited in claim 2, together with a port located in the engine housing plane surface, said port being of a size to contain an ignition device, said port being located a radial distance R1 from the power shaft axis and located so as to align with the first port of each power cylinder at a point in the engine cycle when it is desired to ignite the compressed fuel air mixture, in each power cylinder, so as initiate the power stroke of the power piston.
 4. The combination as recited in claim 3, together with sealing gaskets mounted in the surface of the engine housing about each port recess opening of the engine housing surface.
 5. The combination as recited in claim 4, in which the sealing gaskets are mounted in concentric rings in the surface of the engine housing and at varying radial distances from the power shaft axis, such that each port recess in the cylinder wall surfacE is located between a pair of sealing rings, together with sealing gaskets mounted in the surface of the engine housing that join adjacent concentric sealing rings to as to surround each port recess opening in the engine housing surface with sealing gaskets, thus preventing leakage from the ports of both the engine housing surface and the cylinder surface at the interface between the two plane surfaces. 